A flight from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles on Thursday was diverted to Oklahoma City after an unruly passenger assaulted a flight attendant, police said.
The Transportation Security Administration TSA said an intoxicated passenger became disruptive, causing a security concern during a Delta Air Lines flight from Washington to LA. The TSA told FOX Business that air marshals intervened in order to protect the safety and security of the flight crew and passengers. The man, identified by police as 35-year-old Ariel Pennington, was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and public drunkenness when the plane landed in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma County Detention Center told FOX Business Pennington was released on bond less than 24 hours later.
Delta applauds the quick action and professionalism of the crew and Federal Air Marshals on Delta flight 342 from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles, which was diverted to Oklahoma City after a customer became unruly, an airline spokeswoman told FOX Business.
A TSA spokeswoman said that this incident is part of a disturbing trend that TSA and its industry and federal partners won't tolerate. These incidents needlessly disrupt travel, delaying flights and other transportation operations across the country. The agency is working with its air carrier, airport management partners, and the Federal Aviation Administration FAA to pursue criminal charges and civil penalties in these incidents.
The agency received 5,553 unruly passenger reports since the FAA adopted a zero-tolerance policy in January.
To try and deter the number of attacks against officers and flight crew, the TSA resumed its flight crew self-defense training led by the Federal Air Marshals.